William j



(no Mode 1 W. J. STEVENS. JOINT FOR RAILWAYRAILS. V r I Patented Nov. 13, 188.3.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Lhhognphar. wwwwwwww n. D

, To all whom it may concern.-

WILLIAM J. srnvnns,

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE? or NEW YORK, N. Y.

JOlNT FOR RAILWAY-RAILS,

I SPECIFICATION forming part of jLetters Patent No. 288,378, dated November 13, 188

Application filed August 26,1882. (No model.)

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. STEVENS, ofthe city and'county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and "useful Improvementin Joints for Railway- Rails, of which the following is aspecification. The object of my invention is to providea very secure and yet simple joint for the meet- 1ng ends of railway-rails; and my invention consists inwh atI term a combined fish-plate joint and chair, which is composed of a baseplate having an entirely flat upper surface, and extending horizontally beyond the bases of the rails, at each side thereof,fland fish-plates'pro yided with horizontally extending flanges, which rest on and are secured bybolts or rivets to the portions of the flat surface of the baseplate beyond thebases of the rails.

i Theinvention also consists in a fish-plate j 25 having its outer side of noveljshape, whereby it is made to serve the purpose of a nut-lock,

to preclude the nuts of the fish-bolts from becoming loosened, or to so retard their unscrewe ing as to prevent their becoming loosened by any jar.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l I represents a side elevation of my improved joint. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section thereof, and Fig. 3 represents a transverse section of the principal partsa'base-plate, B, and two fishplates, C.and the base-plate is intended to be of the same or nearly the same length as the fish-plates. The three parts of the joint may be composed of 'ironor steel, and are rolled to give themthe desired form. Thebaseplates B may be rolled separately, or they may be formed by cutting bar or plateiron to the desired length.

The base-plate B has a-flat upper surface, on which thebases a of the rails rest, and the fishplates Ohave flanges G, which extend laterally over and approximately fit the bases of the rails. The flanges 0 project beyondthe edges of the bases a and rest upon the base-plate B,

joint before the fish-bolts are apon the same level as are represented; as secured to the base-plate by rivets b; or one of them maybe bolted, 1f

. desired.

The fish-plates 0, when rolled, are preferably of such form that when theirflanges G are se* cured to the base-plate their upright portions will flare slightly away from the web 0 of. the rail, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to enable the rail to be slipped in endwise between the fishplates, or to enable the chair or fish-plate to be slipped upon the rails longitudinally thereof. The fish-bolts are then inserted, and'both fish-plates are drawn tightlyinagainst the opposite sides of the web 0, as shown in Fig. 2. The flanges of the fish-plates are made thinner than the main portions thereof, so that they will spring and allow the fish-bolts to draw the plates against the webs of the rails. The fish-plates 0 hold the ends of the rails in coincidence, and, in connection with the base-plate B, a chair is formed, which holds the rails in a very secure manner, and which may be is as long or nearly as long as the fish-plates. The outer face of each fish-plate 0, around thebases of the rails, and

the holes'through which the fish-bolts D pass, l

is perpendicular to the axes of said holes, so that the nuts will be afforded an even bearing on the fish-plate and thebending of the bolts preventedwhen the nuts are screwedup tightly. Beyond such perpendicular portion and near the upper edge of the fish-plate is a slight incline, d, which is at such a distance from the holes through which the fish-bolts D are inserted that the corners of the nuts 6 will strike the position shown in Fig. 1 they will clear the incline. The inclines come within the range of the corners of the nuts 6, and as the latter are screwed up their corners bear against the incline d, and although the incline does not offer enough resistance to prevent the nut from being turned with a wrench, it does offer the incline, while when the nuts are turned to a sufficient resistance to prevent the unserew- 5 ing of the nut by any jar, and therefore serves to lock the nuts very effectually. Of course the incline on the fish-plate,

against which the heads of the bolts D bear, is of no 11 se; but the incline adds nothing to their to the rails, and in such case the incline f on the flange G of the fish-plate would prevent -10 the unscrewing of the nuts of said bolts.

' My improved joint is advantageous for many reasons; The base-plates and fish-plates are of simple form, and can allbe produced cheaply by rolling. They have but few angles, and

'15 therefore are not liable to have flaws and to crack or split when strained. The base-plates have a very broad and extensive bearingon the ties, and the weight is distributed over a large area. The base-plates are fiat on the 2 under sides, and will rest squarely on the ties without notching and weakening the latter.

I am not aware that these advantages have all been possessed by any joint heretofore made.

I am aware that the faces of fish-plates have 25- been made inclined adjacent to the holes through which bolts are inserted, and hence do not claim such a construction, broadly. My invention consists, simply, in making the' plates with their faces immediately around the 0, holes perpendicular to the axes of the holes,

so that they afford an .adequate and proper bearing-surface for the nuts, and will obviate springing or bending of the bolts, and in providing the plate with an incline which is within the range of the corners of the nuts. 33

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 7 1. The combination, with the abutting rails A A, of the base-plate B, having an entirely I flat upper surface and extending horizontally 4o beyond the bases of the rails, at each side thereof, and fish-plates 0, provided with horizontally-extending flanges O, which rest on and are secured by bolts or rivets to the portions of the flat surface of the base-plate beyond the 45 bases of. the rails, substantially as herein described.

2. A fish-plate for a railway-rail joint, hav ing its outer side around the holes through which the fish-bolts are tobe'inserted perpen- 5o dicular to the axes of the holes, so as to afi'ord a proper bearing for thenuts and obviate the WILLIAM J. STEVENS. WVitnesses:

FREDK: HAYNES, ED. L. MORAN. 

